POLKTON, N.C. — Staff and volunteers at Anson County Animal Shelter finally wished Bubba, their longtime shelter dog, "happy tails." The 8-year-old terrier mix was one of the shelter's longest residents. Now, he's officially a family's "furbaby."
When he first arrived at the kennels in Polkton in December 2021, he was in rough shape and had clearly come from a sad past.
"Bubba came in as a stray," Heather Harrigan, a shelter volunteer, said in December. "He had a major axe wound on his head."
Since then, he has healed up, but an adoption prospect was nowhere in sight. At the end of December 2022, volunteers marked Bubba's one-year anniversary at the shelter with a major push to find him a forever home. They were amazed the 65-pound "gentle giant" still hadn't caught anyone's eye.
"Even for the 8-year-old that he is, he still has a playful and goofy side to him, which is really sweet, but then also can be affectionate and cuddly," Harrigan said.
A couple of months after spreading his story on TV and social media, a couple from Virginia was driving to Polkton to meet him. After a meet and greet Friday, they made the adoption official and brought him home, volunteers said.
While Bubba is finally in his forever home, volunteers say Anson County kennels are maxed out and many other dogs are looking for families.
Potential adopters can see available dogs and their stories here and stop by the shelter, about 45 minutes east of Charlotte, during business hours for a meet and greet. It is located at 7257 U.S. Hwy 74, Polkton, NC 28135.
Contact Vanessa Ruffes at vruffes@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.